환경 관련 기사

In 2013, Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde made headlines when he teamed up with Heijman's Infrastructure to build the world's first 'Smart Highway' in The Netherlands. Now, a British company called Pro-Teq has invented a product that can transform mundane sidewalks into 'Starpaths' - public paths that project a star-like glow, alleviating the need for street lights....

Each year, from March to June, millions of Americans that live in the Midwestern and Southern United States, brace themselves for the tornado season. And while the twisters are often late, they never fail to make an appearance. This year's first big storm which arrived on Sunday, April 27th, was a deadly slow moving system that caused havoc across a large swath of the country from Oklahoma to Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Iowa, The Carolinas and even, New York....

Earlier this week, the Earth Day Network announced the 'Green Cities' challenge, asking communities worldwide to reduce their dependence on 'dirty' energy - electricity produced using fossil fuels. Now, Washington D.C.'s Georgetown University, is making the challenge more enticing, with a $5 million USD reward for any U.S. town or city that devises the best program to reduce energy consumption....

On Earth Day (April 22nd), The Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, released the world's first endangered song - One that will disappear forever, unless people make the effort to digitally reproduce the single that was released on just 400 polycarbonate records that will degenerate, after being played a few times....

If you ever happen to be in China's Shandong Province, you may want to seek out this remote scrapyard that lies a few miles outside its capital city Jinan, especially, if you are a Transformers fan. That's because this rustic area is home to every Autobot you may know - from Optimus Prime to Bumblebee and even, Megatron. And we are not talking miniature versions either, but life-size Transformers complete with limbs that move!...

Earth Day was born on April 22nd, 1970, when 20 million people across the United States took to the streets to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Today, it has transformed into a global movement, one that is observed by billions of people around the world who annually pledge to undertake a 'green' initiative set by the Earth Day Network (a consortium of 22,000 partners across 192 countries), to help our planet....

Residential houses have come a long way in reducing their energy footprint. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, homes built after 2000, consume only 2% more energy than older homes, despite being 30% larger. While that is certainly encouraging, advocates of the Passive House movement believe that there is a lot more that can and needs to be done - not just to reduce energy costs, but also, to help reverse global warming....

The fact that humans have a tendency to overindulge is no secret. However, it is very rare to hear about animals doing the same. But that certainly appears to be the case with nine-year-old Ernie, a loggerhead sea turtle that resides at the Manchester Sea Life aquarium....

Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde is on a quest. He wants to replace the millions of street lights that dot our streets with bioluminescent trees. And while that may sound like something straight out of a science-fiction movie, it is not as far-fetched as you think....

In November 2008, 265 pits collected from various cherry trees from 14 locations across Japan, were sent to the International Space Station. The endeavor was part of an educational and cultural project to demonstrate to kids, how seeds can continue to live and grow, even after a jaunt to space. The seeds that circled the globe 4,100 times during their four-month mission, were brought back to earth in March 2009. While some were kept for lab tests most, were returned to their original locations....

Stargazers all over the world are getting ready to experience the first of four total lunar eclipses that are scheduled to occur before the end of 2015. The 'tetrad' lunar eclipses are a rare phenomenon - one encountered only seven times, this century. What makes it even more special is that all four eclipses will be visible to the residents of the United States....

Why do zebras have stripes? This question has been stumping both animal experts and zebra fans all over the world for centuries. But now it appears that some researchers in California may have finally solved the age-old mystery!...

Want to be a superhero? Then you may want to pick up some skills from the segmented microscopic Tardigrades (slow steppers). Popularly known as water bears or moss piglets because of their slow gait, these tiny creatures can survive anything - From boiling to sub-zero temperatures, radiation, and even the vacuum of outer space. It is no wonder that this virtually indestructible animal has had the scientific community buzzing with excitement, for years....

Though giant pandas may appear perfectly happy chewing bamboo, scientists recently discovered that just like the rest of us, they would rather have something a tad sweeter. This 'surprising' fact was disclosed to the world on March 26th, in the online scientific journal PLOS One by Danielle R. Reed, a behavioral geneticist at Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center....

The fact that trees are vital to our well-being is no secret. They provide us with food, wood and most importantly, oxygen. Now there is one more thing you can add to this already lengthy list - filtering out harmful bacteria from water....

On Saturday, March 29th, millions of people in more than 7,000 cities and over 150 countries will do something radical - Switch off all lights and electronic devices from 8.30-9.30pm local time! Why? Because believe it or not, this minor action that has become known throughout the world as 'Earth Hour' will help make a dent in the fight against climate change....

When one thinks of ladybugs or ladybirds as the British like to call them, the images that come to mind are those of a super cute insect that can barely hop, leave alone zoom at high speeds and soaring heights. Turns out that the aphid lovers that are considered by many as a sign of good luck, have been hiding this unexpected talent from us, all this time....

Though elephant poaching is banned throughout Africa, unscrupulous hunters continue to slaughter the mighty beasts in large numbers. While that is sad enough, what is even worse is what happens to orphaned baby elephants. Unable to feed themselves, they become weak and are often abandoned by their herds for fear that they will attract lions. Now thanks to one British girl, there is hope, at least for the orphaned calves in Zambia....

With humans increasingly invading and polluting spaces that were once teeming with wildlife, the list of endangered animals grows longer every day. Now South Korea, a country that boasts a population density 10 times the global average, is planning to take a bold step to try reverse at least some of the damage, with a new National Research Center for Endangered Animals....

With less than 400 specimens known to exist today, the North Atlantic right whales rank high on the list of the world's most endangered animals. While most of the population decline can be attributed to relentless hunting that continued well into the 20th century, the few mammals left, are now fighting a new enemy - Lobster fishing nets!...

With over 40,000 known species of spiders, scientists had believed they knew everything there was to know, about these web building arachnids. However, that was before they discovered two new species that dupe their predators by building incredibly accurate decoys of themselves....

Climate change is causing havoc on weather patterns throughout the world. While some areas are getting more than their fair share of snow and rain, others are parched. Though the lack of precipitation is certainly an issue, evaporation of the water collected in the reservoirs is even more so. The US State of Texas estimates that the amount of moisture it loses to this phenomenon annually, could easily sustain the entire city of Austin, for that time period....

Anyone that has been tossed around by ocean waves can attest to their power. Unfortunately, scientists have had a hard time coming up with a way to harness this powerful source of free energy for commercial use. Now, some researchers from University of California, Berkeley, may have a solution - seafloor carpets!...

As you probably know, being 'busy as a bee', is not just an empty metaphor. From searching for nectar and pollen to tending to honeycombs, bees are amongst the hardest workers out there. So it should come as no surprise that two species of urban leafcutter bees in Canada, have learnt to adapt to our increasingly polluted world, by using small pieces of plastic found in the litter, to build their nests....